Sixteenths to george w



(No Model.)

Patented June 20, 1893.

M H fl KN W 00 D DM UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

FRANK. D. OKEEFE, OF PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN-SIXTEENTHS TO GEORGE W. ROBERTS, OF SAME PLACE.

.KNOCKDIOWN CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,798, dated June 20,1893. Application fi led February 9, 1893. Serial No. 461.606. (Nomodel.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK. D. OKEEFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Jefferson and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding orKnockdown Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to chairs in which reed and the like is employed toform the seat and back portions, and my object is to construct chairs ofthis description so that they can be folded into small compass for thepurpose of economizing space, in, storage and transportation.

To this end and to suchothers as the invention may pertain, the sameconsistsin the chair having the construction hereinafter specified andclaimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon form a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of one formof chair to which myinvention is applicable, the same being shown asarranged for use. Fig. 2, is a side view when folded, and Fig. 3, is adetail view in section.

The chair that I have selected to illustrate the practice of myinvention, is a rocking chair of the common type, whose frame comprisesthe two front legs A, A, the two rear legs 13, B extended upward to asuitable height to form the back frame, rungs or rounds connecting thefront-legs to each other, rungs connecting the two hind legs, and thoseconnecting the front 'and hind legs. Three rungs a, or connect the frontlegs together, and two rungs b, I) connect each front leg with the hindleg upon the same side of the chair. To this frame are attached a seat0, and back 0 consisting of a continuous fabric of woven reed, fastenedat its lower seat end to the middle rung a and at its upper theirsockets in the legs A and B.

'the rungs b and the front legs.

end to a rung connecting the upper ends of the extensions of the legs B,B. On each side of the chair the fabric is wound tightly around eachupper rung b, and around the extended part of each hind leg B for ashort distance, being carried from the rung to said extended part,over acurved arm D attached to said rung and part near where they are united.The arm D is not continuous, but is severed, and upon each part thereofis placed a flanged ferrule or collar d whose function it is to preventthe unwinding, or rather the slipping off of the reed from the severed.portions of the arm D. Arm rests or arms E and rockers F of ordinaryconstruction are shown.

When constructing a chair for storage or for shipment, the lower rungsb, I), connecting the front and hind legs and the arms E and rockers Fare not put in place, and the ends of the upper rungs b, b, are left outof This leaves the latter connected simply by the flexible reed fabricwhich can yield at two points, viz:at the back and front edges of theseat portion, the former being possible because of the separation of therungs b and the back legs and-the severance of the curved arms D, andthe latter being due to the separation of In view of this condition ofthe chair the seat can be turned upward and placed fiat against theback, and the connected front legs turned flat against the seat, thusvery considerably reducing the bulk of the chair.

When the chair is to be used, it is simply necessary to arrange theparts in their normal positions, fastening the rungs, arms and rockersin place by glue or otherwise.

My treatment of the chair in no degree impairs its strength or otherwiseinjures it. The severance of the arms D does not in the least weaken theframe, as the function of said arm is simply to enable the reed fabricto be carried from the seat to the back, and properly held in place.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A chair having a seat and back portion of woven reed, the rungs b, b,the extended legs B and the severed arms D, D between the rungs andlegs, said reed being wound around said rungs, legs and arms,substantially as described.

2. A chair having a seat and back portion of woven reed, the rungs b, b,the extended legs B, B, the severed arms D,D between the rungsand legs,said reed being wound around said rungs, legs and arms, and the flangeson the severed portions of said arms, substanl0 tially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK. D. OKEEFE.

Witnesses:

EUGENE GROAT, B. W. RICHARDSON.

